Here at Hotshot Fitness, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to help firefighters achieve optimal performance on the fireline. Which is why we wanted to bring the following study to our readers attention.

The University of Montana is currently running an anonymous study on Wildland Firefighter health and behaviors. The wildland firefighting community has not attracted nearly the same amount of interest from the academic community as the structural world has, and this is an opportunity to correct that. But in order to do that – they need data. The survey covers not just physical health but mental health as well. It was designed by a former wildland firefighter, and is supported by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. So it is as legitimate as they come.

So if you are an active (or former) wildland firefighter, please take some time to respond to the survey. The more data we can gather, the healthier and safer we will be. But more importantly, we can aid in the discovery of insights that will make the profession safer for the next generation of firefighters. And that’s an important cause.

The motto of the Arrowhead Hotshots is “fortitudine vincimus,” which translates roughly as “through endurance we conquer.” As the hotshot community deals with another tragic loss, those words should guide us as we grieve this tragedy. While we here at Hotshot Fitness did not personally know Brian, to read of his life, and of his character, makes us wish we had had the chance to get to know him. As Brian’s colleagues have shared, he was funny, and energetic, and a pillar upon which the crew counted on for support. He was an archetypal hotshot captain, a man who led from the front of the line. Over these next few days, and months, our thoughts will be with the Arrowhead hotshots, and with Brian’s family and friends. May they be granted the strength to endure this time, and in doing so, may they someday conquer those feelings of anger and sorrow that burn so powerfully right now. Fortitudine Vincimus

Kate over at JSM Casting reached out to me yesterday seeking my help to find some physically fit studs (and studettes – is that a word? If not, it should be) who have a powerful message to share. The Jockey #ShowEm campaign celebrates unique and brave everyday heroes who are sharing their truest and best selves with the world. You can see the current heroes featured here: https://www.jockey.com/showem

She thought it would be great if we could find some hotshots, smokejumpers, helitack crew members, engine crew members, or other members from the wildland firefighting community interested in contributing to the campaign.

Interested? If you decide to signup, please use this link to submit an application. And if you do decide to signup, do Kate Antognini from JSM Casting a solid and let them know you heard about it from her.

Best part – there’s some cash compensation available, and it ain’t too shabby. But don’t spend too much time thinking about it. The deadline to apply is Thursday January 11th by 5pm EST.

BY: anthony harrell

Although it’s been quite a few years since I last laced up my shoes for a mid-season run with the Ukonom Hotshots, I’ll never forget the feeling of getting ready to run with the crew. Usually, it was already blistering hot, and while no one said as much, you knew everybody around wanted to hurry up and get this run over with before the morning got any hotter! Most of the time, we stood around, and each guy did his own unique stretching routine to limber up for the run. Routines they customized (or cannibalized depending on your view) from exercises they learned from football coaches or soccer camp instructors. But everyone just did what they had always done, not putting much thought into it. Actually, quite a few didn’t even bother to stretch – they thought running was the best way to loosen up your muscles! I remember putting my right leg over my left leg, and touching my toes, and thinking “Why am I doing this? Is this even helping? Shouldn’t there be a formalized stretching program? Maybe something supported by science?” Captains & squad bosses might be experts on fire, but they’re not always experts on fitness. After I left fire to pursue a PhD in Kinesiology, I would occasionally think about those mornings runs, and how to best prepare firefighters for it. Over the years, I have noticed that the topic of stretching, specifically when to do it, and how to integrate it into a workout program are all very common questions people ask me.

After many years of research, I finally feel qualified to offer an opinion on the matter! I drafted this article to describe both static and dynamic stretching, and offer some suggestions on how you can leverage each to get the most impact from your workouts.

Types of Stretching

When most of us think about stretching, we form a picture in our head of holding a joint or body part in a lengthened position to a point of slight discomfort. This is known as static stretching.

Common Static Stretches: Bending at the waist and touching your toes, pulling your arm across your chest and holding it in place with your other arm. For whatever reason, most static stretches are arbitrarily done for a count of ten seconds.

The definition of dynamic stretching on the other hand isn’t as straight-forward, but typically involves slow and/or exaggerated movements prior to beginning an activity.

Ok, So We’re Clear on Dynamic vs. Static, Right?

Great, Now Let’s Talk About Which to Use (and When)

Running and hiking are the two pillars of every wildland firefighting crews’s cardio program. Interested in learning how stretching impacts the performance of both these activities, I dug deep into the current research to see what effects stretching might have on reducing injury and improving performance.

When looking at static stretching, the research that has been compiled through the years isn’t very supportive! When done before physical activity, it actually has been shown to decrease performance, following a dose-response relationships (the longer the stretch, the worse they performed) (Behm et al, 2015)!

That really surprised me because almost EVERYONE does static stretching before they start a workout. Whether it’s a hotshot crew preparing for a hike, or a meathead getting ready to hit the squat rack at 24 Hour Fitness, you’re going to see a lot of static stretching. Turns out your mother was right – just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean that you should!

So, that finding intrigued me, and I was curious to learn if dynamic warm up activities were equally worthless. In my research, I reviewed a study by Yamaguchi, Takizawa, and Shibata (2015) and found that performing a dynamic stretching routine improved running performance as measured by time to exhaustion and total running distance. This is good news for the firefighter whose crew makes running a go-to form of training while prepping for the season. Sadly, no good research is out there for its effectiveness on hiking performance! But the point is, dynamic stretching before running improves your performance. You can go harder for longer. Which is crucial.

So Dynamic Stretching Improves Performance – But What About Injury Prevention?

http://stochasticscientist.blogspot.com

There is a common myth out there that if you don’t stretch before or after an activity that you put yourself at risk for injury. If you are thinking about getting crazy and heading in to your superintendent’s office and preaching that the crew needs time for stretching because of injury risk then you’d be wrong. The same researchers searched through over 100 published studies and found no evidence that stretching reduces injury rates (neither static nor dynamic). In fact, static stretches may actually reduce muscle activation which could further your risk of injury. For dynamic, there has been a lack of data collected to analyze whether or not it is effective.

How to Integrate it Into Your Training

First off, let’s be clear that just because research does not fully support something does not mean that it has lost its usefulness. I know firsthand that what works in the field, the gym, or out on the line, may not always have the best evidence for why we use it. If you or your crew are using one of the methods of stretching talked about today and it works, then stick with it!

If you are unsure or trying to shake things up a bit, my recommendation would be to try both! Give static stretching a shot before or after a hike and/or run and see how you feel. Do the same with a dynamic warm-up program. Personally, I would recommend mixing up some static stretches with a dynamic warm-up program. (Fortunately, Hotshot Fitness has you covered! Check out our warm-up routine here).. You get the added benefit of increasing the motion of tight joints while getting your system revved up and focused to kick some ass!

Finally, experiment with whether or not you need to do it before or after PT as the evidence for this is lacking so you can’t go wrong. Also, keep in mind that your line of work is not a 9-5 job, so you need to be prepared at all hours, not just before a hike. Due to the intensity of the job, I highly recommend stretching and light movements in the barracks or at home. These are easy things you can do while chatting with family on the phone or grilling dinner on the BBQ. The big thing to remember, is just do it! Our bodies are made to move and you know yours the best. Take care of it, it is what helps you pay the bills.

Summary

Stretching has not been proven to reduce injuries

Static stretching may decrease performance

Dynamic stretching/warm-ups have been shown to improve performance in endurance-activities such as running

Experiment with both!

STAY TUNED!

In an article coming very soon, I will put together some pictures of stretches and warm-up activities that you can use to prepare yourself for training.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anthony Harrell spent three years with the Ukonom Hotshots. His adventures in fire inspired him to pursue a career in Physical Therapy, and he recently graduated from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) / San Francisco State University.

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been a contributor to Hotshot Fitness since 2016.